WHITEWATER, Wis. – The Illinois Wesleyan softball team battled back after a 12-2 loss in the opener to win a 14-9 game in a doubleheader at No. 13 Wisconsin-Whitewater on Wednesday, April 19. The 14 runs scored is a high-game total for IWU in 2017 along with the 12 runs batted in.
 
The split leaves the Titans with a record of 21-11 and the Warhawks lost for only the seventh time and are 23-7.
 
The Titans got off to a rocky start in the opener as the Warhawks scored three in the first and added four more in the second inning. Illinois Wesleyan managed just three hits with one being a two-run home run from freshman leftfielder Sydney Alery in the fifth inning.
 
In game two, Illinois Wesleyan banged out a season-high 15 hits, including a two-run homer by freshman second baseman Sydnie Wells and a solo homer from junior rightfielder Maggie Graham, along with doubles from Alery, sophomore centerfielder Jillian Runyon and sophomore third baseman  Julie Josten.
 
Wells finished with three RBI and scored three runs and Alery led IWU with three hits.
 
IWU trailed 7-4 after two innings before scoring six runs on seven hits with one Warhawk error in the third inning to take a commanding 11-7 lead. IWU tacked on single runs in the fourth and fifth with two more insurance runs in the seventh.
 
Freshman Brea Walker (8-3) pitched a complete game, allowing nine runs on 12 hits with a walk and two strikeouts.
 
Graham scored three times in the second game along with Runyon, who stole two bases in each game and now has 39 this season, putting her within reach of her own school season record of 41 set last season.
 
What's Next?
The Titans return to College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin action this weekend with doubleheaders at Carthage College in Kenosha, Wis., at 1 p.m. on Saturday, April 22, and at Carroll University at 12 p.m. on Sunday, April 23.